Waterfowl seasons set, possible fee coming for utility vehicles in state parks

The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission quietly set the 2016-17 Kansas waterfowl seasons and limits Thursday evening. Over about the past five years that process had drawn often contentious discussion as commissioners and the public debated such things as duck hunting zone boundaries and setting seasons to take advantage of early and late migrations.

This year the season was set four months earlier than in years past, to meet U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requirements to have recommendations made near the end of April. Up until last year, the deadline had been near the end of August.

Commissioner Aaron Rider, Columbus, noted Canada goose season will be closed for a few days in early January, as opposed to early November. Wildlife and Parks has to pick several days to close to season to stay within the maximum amount of days allowed by federal guidelines, while offering as many popular hunting days as possible.

The dates:

Teal

Low plains early teal season – Sept. 10-25, limit six per day.

Duck

Low plains, early zone – Oct. 8 -Dec. 4, Dec. 17-Jan. 1.

Low plains, late zone – Oct. 29- Jan. 1, Jan. 21-29.

Southeast zone – Nov. 12-Jan. 1, Jan. 7-29.

Regular season daily limits - Six ducks of which up to five can be mallards, of which no more than two can be hens, three scaup, three wood ducks, two redheads, two pintails and two canvasbacks.

Geese

Dark (Canada) – Oct. 29-Jan. 1, Jan. 4-Feb. 12.

White-fronted – Oct. 29-Jan. 1, Jan. 21-Feb. 12.

Light (Snow) – Oct. 29-Jan. 1, Jan. 4-Feb. 12.

Daily limits – Six Canada geese, two white-fronted geese, 50 light geese.

Possession limits for waterfowl are three-times the daily limit per species.

Also at the meeting:

▪ Proposed park fee – Linda Lanterman, state park director, requested a $50 annual fee for things like golf carts and utility vehicles within Kansas state parks. She said several other states sell such permits, which allows campers to travel around the parks in vehicles that are smaller and less expensive to drive.

If passed in October, in Liberal, the regulation would limit such use basically to daylight hours and be limited to regular park roads. Lanterman said vehicles that carry regular state licenses would be charged the standard $25 annual vehicle permit fee.

Michelle Ratzlaff spoke against such a new regulation, stating some such vehicles could be noisy and lead to off-road abuse. Lanterman said other states with such permits say they’ve had few problems, and estimated Kansas would probably sell 1,000 or less of such permits. The topic will be discussed again in June, and voted upon at the October meeting.

▪ No more guiding on state lands, waters – There was no debate, or serious opinions, given about a possible regulation that would make it illegal for guides to charge for taking hunters on lands and waters manage by Wildlife and Parks. The request had been made several times by waterfowl hunters frustrated by guiding operations at Cheyenne Bottoms, and walk-in hunting areas. Gerald Lauber, commission chairman, said they had gotten very little comment from guides wanting to keep such actions legal.

The department next meets June 23 in Fort Scott. For more information go to ksoutdoors.com, or all 620-672-5911.

This story was originally published April 23, 2016 at 4:49 PM with the headline "Waterfowl seasons set, possible fee coming for utility vehicles in state parks."